‘I am human too’: Sundowns coach Mokwena admits jibes are painful

Rulani Mokwena started his post-match press conference at King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday evening in high spirits after Mamelodi Sundowns recorded their sixth win in a row this season, but he ended it close to tears with his emotions getting the better of him.

Sundowns edged Richards Bay 1-0 to go to 29 DStv Premiership matches unbeaten. 

Mokwena has shown he has the makings to be one of the greatest coaches of all time in South Africa. The 36-year-old is the youngest South African coach to have led a team in a DStv Premiership match, having done so when he was 24 at now-defunct Platinum Stars — deputising for Steve Komphela, who had been sent off.

Last season, at 35, he became the youngest coach to lead a side to league success. Mokwena started the 2022-23 campaign as co-coach with Manqoba Mngqithi, but was given the task of being the sole head coach with 20 league matches remaining.

Since he took over as Sundowns’ head coach, Mokwena is yet to lose a Premiership match, with an impressive record of 19 wins and six draws in 25 games.

Despite the best start by any coach at Sundowns, Mokwena is a constant figure of ridicule on social media.

These jibes include calling him a Pep Guardiola copycat, where various gestures and even sitting stances of Mokwena that are similar to Manchester City’s manager are blown up and used as a punchline.

A popular recent jibe has called Mokwena “Pep cell” — in reference to the retail franchise Pep’s cellphone department — next to a picture of the Spaniard where both have a similar sitting stance during a match.

Asked after his team’s win against Bay how he handles this scrutiny and ridicule, Mokwena tried to deflect the question but ended up showing how much it affects him.

“I would rather not answer that because anything I say, I always tell you guys I’ve got a different set of rules,” Mokwena said.

“Everything I say is interrogated, everything I say is sometimes misconstrued, and sometimes deliberately so because people want to paint a narrative about me that does not exist. But I accept, because only God can judge me. I try to do my best every single day.

“Like Jesus Christ had — and please do not say he is comparing himself to Jesus Christ. You will say that, I know. I am saying it clearly: I am not [comparing himself to Jesus Christ], but I take reference from the book.

“And I say, if the greatest of all that walked this planet, [and] if he was scrutinised, misinterpreted and killed, for truth and honesty, and representing that, then who am I? I’d rather not answer that because God knows my heart.

“Sometimes it’s very painful, because I am human too. But I will soldier on, I am very strong.”

Sundowns’ 100% start to the 2023-24 season is an impressive run for a team that used to start slow under coach Pitso Mosimane. “Jingles” put Sundowns’ slow starts down to them being the first team to start the season and the last to go on a break due to their ever-presence in the Caf Champions League, which used to start from February to November, which meant the campaign would span domestic seasons.

The Confederation of African Football’s continental club competitions calendar has since been aligned to run with the Premier Soccer League’s, from August to May.

“Nothing has changed,” Mokwena said in response to being asked what has differed from Sundowns’ previous tendency for slow starts. “It’s just that the players know each other a bit better. There’s good continuity.

“There is a lot of hard work. The technical team works very hard. We have a very good squad and, of course, that makes a very big difference.”

After a frenetic programme, Sundowns have some respite with no fixture this weekend. They resume action with their league match against Polokwane City at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.